Wheel assembly



Nov. 28, 1939. I

F. w. BURGER 2,181,364

WHEEL ASSEMBLY I Filed'May 15, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Frederic/Y ZUB Luger Patented NOV, 28, 1939 2,181,364

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEEL ASSEMBLY Frederick W. Burger, Niles, Mich., assignor to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Micln, a corporation of Michigan Application May 15, 1936, Serial No. 79,82

8 Claims. (Cl. 301-13) This invention relates toiwheel assemblies, and alining shoulder I8 adapted to receive the head more particularly is directed to an assembly flange l2 of a brake drum [3 which is secured to which empioysa wheel spider having radially exthe boss portion 9 by means of the'bolts I4. tending spokes upon which a tire rim is mounted At the outer end of each of the spokes 8 there 5 in fixed position, holding it against lateral or is provided aradially extending flange l5 having 6 radial inward movement. a radial surface l6 terminating at its radial inner It is the primary object of the present inven end in an outwardly tapered wedge surface l'l tion to provide an assembly-in which the wheel sloping axially inwardly toward the outboard side spider can be roughly finished and requires little of the wheel.

10 machining in order to produce a positive sup- The tire rim 5, which may be of the beveled 10 porting structure for a tire rim. gutter type, is provided with a rolled sheet metal Another object attained by the present invenmember or casting l9 which may be riveted as at tion is the provision of a-wheel structure which 20, to the innersurface of the rim, and which simulates the appearance of a disc wheel, but in has radially inwardly extending portions 22 formwhich the tire rim is supported against radial ing a radially inwardly extending peripheral 15 loads by mounting it at the free ends of the flange thatis cut away/between the spokes in spokes of a wheel spider. order to accommodate chording of the rim. This A still further object of the present invention is cut-away portion is indicated at 23 in Figure 1. theprovision of a tire rim having a reinforcing The inner end of the portions 22 of the flange flange which serves to mount the rim positivelyis beveled in opposite directions as shown at 24 20 on the wheel body, and yet permits chording of in Figure 2 corresponding to. the taper of the the rim intermediate the spoke ends. I surface IT.

Another feature of the present invention is the A suitable clamping stud 25 extends axially provision of a construction which can be utilized through the radial wall l5. of the spoke 8,.and 25 either for single or dual wheel mountings, and. the flange 22 is apertured, as at 26, to receive 25 which serves to positively aline and maintain this bolt. A nut 21 is threaded on the outer end the tire rims in proper position on the wheel of the bolt and bears against the radial surface spider. 7' of the flange 22 for wedging the beveled edge of Other objects andadvantages of the present inthis flange along the tapered surface I]. i This vention will appear more fully from the followwedgingmovement tends to spread the rim ra- 80 ing detailed descriptionwhich, taken in-.conjuncdially and produces chording of the rim between tion with the accompanying drawings; will dis-' the spokes. As the flange 22 is moved against the close to those skilled in the art the particular defining abutment surface l6 of the wall IS, the construction and operation of the preferred form .rim becomes definitely alined in lateral position of the present invention. 'oi'i' the wheel spider, and also is wedged tightly 85 Inthedrawings': 1 3 ,1 I I Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a wheel If desired, a suitable closure member 28 may e b y iBile Present nvention; I .be provided which encloses the entireoutboard Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially side of the wheel spider and has its periphery ex- 40 on line 2'-2 of Figure 1 showing the mounting tending substantially to the rim l8. This mem- 4,0

of a single tire rim according'to the present inher 28 may be alight weight sheet metal stampvention; ing which is provided with suitable peripheral Fi ure 3 is a corresponding v w a ng a openings alining it for clamping engagement bedual wheel assembly; I 'tween the flange 22 and the nut 21. The mem- Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the spacber 28 may be cut outintermediate the spokes as 45 mg e b S own in F gure 3; and indicated at 30 in Figure l, to provide a spokelike Figure 5 is a modified. cbnstluction illustrating appearance and to allow access to the valve stem another manner of carrying out the invention. 32 carried by the tire mounted on the rim I8. Referring nowin detail to the drawings, I have The outer surface of the member 28 may be 5b provided a tire'rim 5 which is supported upon a chrome-plates or painted in anydesired color wheel spider,-indicated generally at'li. The spider combination to produce a decorative appearance 6- is provided with a hub portion" 'l having the for the outboard side of the wheel. radially extending spokes 8. Considering now the dual wheel assembly At the rear of each of the spokes 8, there. is shown in Figure 3, the wheel spider 35 is providedv in position on the spoke en ds. l i

5 provided an enlarged boss portion 9 forming an with the'hub portion 36 adapted to be mounted on an axle housing arm or the like, and is also provided with a boss' portion 31 on the rear face of the extending spoke portions 38.. This boss extending flange 22, is adapted to have engage-- ment with the wedge surface 42 for mounting it in an overhanging position with respect to the wall 39. An elongated clamping bolt 43 extends through the wall 39 and the flange 22, and is transversely projected to the outboard side of the front wall of the spoke 38,. A suitable U-shaped spacing member 45, shown in detail in Figure 4, has abutting engagement at its rear surface with the outer face of the flange 22 of the rim l8, "and rests upon the ledge 25 44 terminating the tapered .surface '42. This member 45 extends forwardly across to, and has interlocking engagement with the front portion of the spoke 38. The radial inner surface of the member 45 is arcuately shaped to correand has 9. depending tongue portion 46 which is adapted to have keying engagement in the cutaway groove 41 formed in the outer peripheral portion of the spoke. At its outer end, the member has a tapered wedge surface 48 adapted to receive the flange 22 of a second rim I 8, and is also provided with the abutting radially extending faces 49 for limiting axial inward movement of the flange 22. A suitable 40 nut 50 is threaded over the projecting end of the bolt 43 and when tightened, serves to force the member 45 against the outer face of the flange 22 of the inboard rim to wedge the same in position on the surface 42, and at the same time, forces the flange 22 of the outboard rim l8 into wedging engagement'with the surface 48 to chord the two rims into -flxed position on the spoke ends. At the same time, the entire assembly moves axially inwardly until the inboard side of the inboard rim flange 22 abuts the surface 40 of the radially extending wall 39, and the inboard side of the flange 22 of the outboard rim abuts against the radial surfaces 49 of the member '45. This serves to definitely space the rims laterally, and at the same time, to mount them in definite position with respect to the wheel spider. 3 v

In an optional form ofthe inventioms shown in Figure 5, the spoke ends are offset circumferentially, the rear wall 39' of the spoke being adapted to receive a short stud 43' which carries the nut 52 for clamping the inboard rim in position in the manner shown in Figure 2.

provided with a second radially extending wall 53 having a short clamping stud 54 extending therethrough which is adapted to clamp .the outboard rim iii position in substantially the manner shown in Figure 2. In this embodiment spond to the arcuate shape of the spoke. ends,

Similarly, the outer portion of the spoke 38' is.

walls. Suitable reinforcing ribs 55 and 56 are provided between the walls 39' and 53 for crossminimum of parts, and also without requiring any extensive machine operations. on either the rim flanges or the spoke ends. may preferably beform'ed as a malleable casting which can be sufficiently accurate so that the only machining required is on the tapered surface- 48. Similarly, if the members l9 are formed of rolled sheet metal stock, they may be coined in such manner as to provide the proper tapered surfaces 24 without any further machining so that, the construction of the component parts is relatively economical and capable of mass production.

The member 45 I do not intend to belimited to the exact details of theconstruction shown and described herein,

but only in so far as defined by the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A wheel assembly comprising a wheel spider having laterally spaced radially extending spoke defining walls, the wall at the inboard side of said spider having beveled seats adjacent the ends of the spokes, a clamping bolt at each spoke end extending axially thereacross, a pair of tire rims having radially inturned flanges at their adjacent lateral edges, one of said rims being mounted on said inboard wall and the flange thereof being wedges radially outwardly on said seats, a clamping member embracing each of said bolts and held against the outer surface of the flange of said inboard ri'm, said member having at its outboard side a corresponding beveled seat for receiving the flange of the other radial distance to said seat, a clamping bolt extending axially through said transverse" wall and projecting axially outwardly of said outboard wall, a tire rim having a flange portion apertured about said bolt and having lateral abutting engagement with said transverse wall, a second corresponding tire rim, spacing means between said rims and having a radially outwardly directed channel portion partially embracing said bolt, said spacing means supporting saidsecond rim on said outboard wall and having abutting lateral engagement with the flange of the inboard rim, and interlocking engagement between said outboard wall and said spacing means to prevent relative circumferential movement therebetween.

3. Spacing means for a dual wheel assembly of the class described comprising a channel shaped member having a transverse extending abutment surface at one end, and a corresponding abutment surface at the'opposite end terminating at one edge in an axially outwardly extending projection having a beveled surface leading to said abutment surface.

4. Spacing means for. a dual wheel assembly comprising an elongated member of generally U-shaped section, anabutment surface extending transversely across one-end of said member, and a second parallel abutmentsur f ace formed by the leg portions of said member at -its opposite end, the base of said member at saidopposite end being projected axially outwardly beyond said associated abutment surface to form a tapered rim flange receiving seat leading up to said abutment surface. I

5. Spacing means for a dual wheel assembly comprising an elongated extending member ,of generally U-shaped section, an abutment surface extending transversely across one end of said member, a second parallel abutment surface formed by the leg portions of said member at its opposite end; the base of said member at said opposite end being projected axially outwardly beyond said abutment surface to form a tapered rim flange receiving seat leading up to said abutment surface, and a downwardly offset tongue .series of circumferentially spaced radially in.-

wardly extending apertured bosses, one of said rims being adapted for mounting with the bosses thereof adjacent the outboard face of -said inboard wall and overhanging said wall laterally inwardly, a clamping bolt supported in said wall and extending through the associated boss through the outboard side of said spoke, a spacing lug having an outwardly directed U-shaped portion embracing the intermediate portion of said bosses laterally inwardly against said radial walls of said spoke end and said lug.

7. The assembly of claim 6 further characterized in the provision of interlocking means between said ing and said outboard spoke wall preventing relative circumferential movement therebetween.

8. In combination, a wheel body having spoke portions terminating in axially spaced circum-' ferentially extending walls, the inboard wall having an axially inwardly offset portion with radially extending bosses projecting therefrom, bolts carried by said bosses and extending transversely across the outboard wall, a pair of tire rims each having radially inwardly directed lug portions at one lateral edge thereof apertured to receive said bolts, one of said rims being mounted about said offset portion with said lug portions against the outboard surfacesof said bosses and laterally inwardly overhanging said bosses, and a series of spacing lugs partially embracing each of said bolts and having abutment surfaces at one end thereof pressing said lug portions of said one rim against said bosses, and having a radial surface at the opposite end for receiving the lug portions of the other rim in abutment thereagainst, and

nut means on said bolts for clamping said other rim against said radial surface and for moving said lugs axially along said bolt to clamp the first rim in fixed position.

FREDERICK W. BURGER. 

